NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Post-Thursday Night Football Standings, Review

The world of NFL power rankings doesn't see much of a shift after the Week 13 edition of Thursday Night Football.

There, the 11-1 Dallas Cowboys survived 17-15 on the road against the .500 Minnesota Vikings, getting a touchdown apiece from rookie sensations Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Minnesota, trailing for most of the game, attempted 47 passes to 19 rushes while trying to pull off a memorable comeback late.

Here is a look at the impact on the power rankings:

Rank	Team
1	Dallas Cowboys
2	Oakland Raiders
3	New England Patriots
4	Atlanta Falcons
5	Kansas City Chiefs
6	Denver Broncos
7	Detroit Lions
8	New York Giants
9	Seattle Seahawks
10	Pittsburgh Steelers
11	Washington
12	Baltimore Ravens
13	Philadelphia Eagles
14	Miami Dolphins
15	Minnesota Vikings
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17	San Diego Chargers
18	Buffalo Bills
19	Carolina Panthers
20	New Orleans Saints
21	Houston Texans
22	Tennessee Titans
23	Green Bay Packers
24	Indianapolis Colts
25	Arizona Cardinals
26	Los Angeles Rams
27	New York Jets
28	Cincinnati Bengals
29	San Francisco 49ers
30	Chicago Bears
31	Jacksonville Jaguars
32	Cleveland Browns

Nothing too shocking here. The Cowboys have put together 11 consecutive wins, with the only loss on their record coming by a single point. Few other teams look as good on a week-to-week basis, let alone have comparable resumes.

Minnesota, on the other hand, has lost six of its last seven after starting the season with five wins in a row. It's a remarkable, if not historic, downfall softened only by the fact that the miserable NFC North still permits the Vikings to hang around in second place.

Unlike Thursday, the rest of the Week 13 slate promises more significant movement in the rankings. Before the weekend action gets underway, let's take a look at a few teams facing potential huge gains or losses in the rankings.

Seahawks

It was easy to excuse the Seahawks early in the season. After all, Seattle has become notorious in recent years for starting slowly before turning it on and pushing toward the postseason. 

Though still first in the NFC West, the Seahawks went out and posted five points in a Week 12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Russell Wilson tossed two interceptions, and a ground game averaging 5.8 yards per carry couldn't score.

Head coach Pete Carroll has tried to use the gaffe as a learning experience, per the Seahawks' official website: "It’s a very good opportunity for us to respect what’s going on. The situation is, whether you’re playing home or on the road and it doesn’t matter about the opponent, we go out there and turn the ball over three times and don’t convert (on third down), you’re going to get yourself in deep water."

So, yes, the Seahawks are in serious danger of a dramatic fall in the power rankings.

It doesn't get any easier for the Seahawks either, thanks to a Week 13 encounter with the Carolina Panthers. While the team has failed to meet expectations this year at 4-7, the Panthers still boast Cam Newton and tend to play the Seahawks well.

A loss won't necessarily reopen the door in the NFC West, but the Seahawks can't afford to drop another winnable contest before finishing the season against the Green Bay Packers followed by a trio of divisional opponents.

Momentum is a big factor going into the playoffs, and it's something the Seahawks can't afford to sacrifice.

Saints

Unlike the Seahawks, the New Orleans Saints can't afford a hiccup.

The Saints sit at 5-6 and third in the NFC South behind Tampa Bay and the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans secured a win against the struggling Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 but lost to the Denver Broncos by two points and the Panthers by three in the weeks before that.

Drew Brees and the Saints would love to have those back. Feel free to add in a one-point loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 and a three-point defeat at the hands of the New York Giants in Week 2.

It is now-or-never time for the Saints.

Brees has 30 touchdowns to eight interceptions, and his ground game averages 4.3 yards per carry, but it hasn't been enough for the team to overcome a defense coughing up 27.9 points per game.

This is bad news going into a Week 13 encounter with the Detroit Lions, a seven-win team with an explosive offense led by Matthew Stafford, whom Brees has praised in the week leading up to the game.

"He can make some throws that most guys can't or certainly couldn't even attempt to make," Brees said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "He has got some moxie and savvy to him. He just has that playmaking ability in critical situations. I feel like he's always had that."

The Saints will get two shots at Tampa Bay over the final four games, not to mention a chance to even the season series with the Falcons.

A Week 13 win would do many things, including help the Saints balloon in the power rankings.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.